TOWARDS A MORE SOCIAL DIGITAL LIBRARY

Web 2.0 is the collection of applications that allow user contribution on the web: blogs, wikis, social networking, etc. The new library 2.0 concept has into account the user's experience. The information that offers depends on the users, by means of its participation in the preparation of catalogs, the authorship of contents, the exchange of information with other users of the library, by means of recommendations of books, suggestions, etc. It is possible to access the public information of other users, knowing his favorite books, etc. These libraries were often during the nineteenth century referred to as "public libraries" because they were open to all for free regardless of class, age or race.
Nowadays, the social networks acquire relevance. Google has proposed the specifications of OpenSocial which defines a common Application Program Interface for the development of social applications across multiple websites, based on the gadget technology. The community develops efforts to have tools able to transform any web site into a fully-functional social networking system ( including support for OpenSocial gadgets).
Using OpenSocial is possible to manage the social graph of an application, that is, users, profiles, activities, relations and groups of friends. Nevertheless, the interoperability between social networking is a problem that totally has not been solved. With Google Friend Connect service a web application can invite friends from a social network like Orkut or your Google's account contacts to use this application. From any container of social applications it would be desirable to be able to access the user's public information, without violating its privacy.
In the actual library 2.0 model, in which it is required more users's participation for the development of catalogues, summaries, ranking or voting, etc, it is pretty important the users managment through a social graph.
By this way, the library feedbacks with the users's experience, who can belongs to a particular social network, which contributes the users's information, who can access to the services of the library adding it into their profiles. Although the technology exists, there is a lack in the models that allow the fast integration of the same in the new concept of library 2.0.
In this article a new model based on components is proposed for the management of the social information of a virtual library by means of the use of standards like OpenID, OAuth and OpenSocial. This model allows the development of final applications where each user will be able to access to a customized view of the library, or from a navigator, a desktop application or a movable device. It will be able to interact with other users who have a OpenID account, and to personalize its profiles by means of applications that allow the access to the services of the library.
The proposed model is being evaluated in the process of redesigning of the Virtual Library “Miguel de Cervantes”, in its new projection.